[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2133, SCHOOL READINESS 
                              ACT OF 2005

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                               speech of

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                  in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2005

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, since I have been in Congress, I 
have been a consistent supporter of Head Start. This program assists 
over 900,000 children and their families nationwide, including the 
1,421 children enrolled in 6 Head Start programs in the Third 
Congressional District of Kansas. Thanks to this program, children 
enrolled in Head Start in the district are nearly twice as likely as 
other low-income children to receive basic medical care and over three 
times as likely to receive dental care. In the Third Congressional 
District, 77 percent of Head Start children have received basic primary 
health care, and 76 percent have a continuous, accessible source of 
dental care. The program has also provided mental health services to 
over 150 children in the district and has provided assistance to 200 
children with disabilities.
  I commend the Education and Workforce Committee for working in a 
bipartisan manner, by reporting legislation that did not include 
provisions that prevented similar legislation from being enacted in the 
108th Congress. Specifically, the Education and Workforce Committee did 
not include language permitting faith based organizations to 
discriminate on the basis of religion, which was part of similar 
legislation in the 108th Congress.
  During the debate on H.R. 2123, the House adopted an amendment 
offered by Representative John Boehner, which permits faith based 
organizations to make hiring decisions based on a person's religion. I 
cannot, therefore, vote for H.R. 2123 because it undermines fundamental 
civil rights protections against employee discrimination for Head Start 
teachers and volunteers. Since the inception of Head Start, this civil 
rights protection has allowed for religious organizations to 
participate in programs, while maintaining constitutional and civil 
rights standards. I appreciate the important contributions faith based 
organizations make to the education of thousands of students, through 
participating in the Head Start program. If the repeal of existing 
civil rights protections becomes law, then teachers or parent 
volunteers could lose their jobs based solely on their religion.
  The Head Start program provides essential early childhood education 
services, and I will continue to support its important work. I cannot, 
however, vote for this legislation that permits discrimination in 
hiring.

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